Apparatus for disposal of coil-securing bands



J. R. SCOTT 3,408,020

APPARATUS FOR DISPOSAL OF COIL-SECURING BANDS Get. 29, 1968 Filed May 4, 1967 Mil/EN TOR Mfum flilllllrllllll J (my I? s arr By United States Patent 3,408,020 APPARATUS FOR DISPOSAL OF COIL- SECURING BANDS Jay R. Scott, Crown Point, Ind., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 4, 1967, Ser. No. 636,121 2 Claims. (Cl. 24278.7)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pair of spaced, parallel upright supports having rollers mounted at the top thereof and a guide mounted below and between the rollers. Guide functions to conduct a severed securing band from a coil in an uncoiler to an endless conveyor while the rollers support the outer wrap of the coil. The upper flight of the conveyor is magnetized to hold the band to the conveyor to carry it to a receptacle adjacent the discharge end of the conveyor.

The present invention relates generally to apparatus for handling material and more particularly to guide and conveyor apparatus especially suitable for disposing of a coil-securing band after the band has been severed.

It is currently common practice in mills where steel strip is manufactured to wind the strip in compact coils and then apply at least one securing band around the periphery of each coil so that the coil may be subsequently handled without the danger of the coil springing open and becoming uncoiled.

When a banded coil is to be passed through a continuous processing apparatus such as a rolling mill, pickling line, etc., the coil-securing band must be severed and the leading end of the coil directed into the entry end of the processing apparatus. In order to insure continuous operation, the removal of the coil-securing band from the coil and the feeding of the leading end of the coil into the processing line must be done as quickly as possible so that the leading end of the coil may be welded or otherwise connected with the trailing end of the previous coil passing through the processing line without delay.

Prior to my invention, when the coil-securing band was severed from a coil preparatory to feeding its leading end into the processing line, it would fall into the entrypositioner pit which is located at the entry end of the processing line. The bands would accumulate in the pit and then be removed when the coil processing line was not in operation. Frequently, the bands became lodged in the equipment in the entry-positioner pit and interfered with its operation so that delays in positioning subsequent coils for processing would result.

It is, accordingly, the primary object of my invention to provide an apparatus for removal of a coil-securing band whereby the band is carried away from the coil immediately upon severance while the coil is supported on the blocker rolls of an uncoiler.

It is a more specific object of my invention to provide an apparatus as set forth in the object above wherein a pair of spaced supporting rollers is provided adjacent the blocker rolls of an uncoiler and a guide is disposed between and below the supporting rollers for guiding a securing band after it has been severed to a conveyor having a magnetized upper flight while the rollers support the outer wrap of the coil and direct the leadingend thereof to the entry end of a coil processing line.

These and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view partly in section of an uncoiler having the apparatus of the invention incorporated therewith;

3,408,020 Patented Oct. 29, 1968 FIGURE 2 is a plan view taken substantially along the lines 11-11 of FIGURE 1 showing the guide and supporting rollers of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged plan view with parts broken away for clarity, taken substantially along the line IIIIII of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the lines IV-IV of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the lines VV of FIGURE 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2 designates generally an uncoiler which includes a pair of driven blocker or coil-positioning rolls 4 adapted to support a coil C. A pair of triangularly shaped, upright brackets 6 are supported in spaced parallel relation on a beam member 8 of the uncoiler frame adjacent the blocker rolls 4. A roller 10 is mounted for free rotation in the upper end of each of the brackets 6. A guide or chute 12 having longitudinally extending side walls 14, a bottom 16, and an open top and open ends, is welded by its side walls 14 to the brackets 6, as best shown in FIGURES l and 2. The guide 12 extends longitudinally from a point adjacent the blocker rolls 4 angularly to a point beyond the rollers 10 and above the level of the blocker rolls, as best shown in FIGURE 1. The discharge end 18 of the guide 12 is disposed adjacent the receiving end 20 of an endless conveyor 22.

The endless conveyor 22 includes a longitudinally extending frame made up of a pair of parallel, spaced channel sections 24 having conveyor drums 26 journaled at each end thereof around which a fabric endless belt 28 is trained. The drum 26 at the discharge end 30 of the conveyor is driven by means of a motor-gear reducer unit 32 and a sprocket chain 34.

A series of pairs of spaced, transversely extending support beams 36 extend between the frame members 24 spaced therealong subjacent the upper flight of the conveyor, as best shown in FIGURES l and 4. Each pair of members 36 rigidly supports a permanent horseshoe magnet 38. Each of the horseshoe magnets is located directly beneath the conveying or upper flight of the conveyor 22 and have their poles connected to pole plates 40 which are positioned with an air gap therebetween, as best shown in FIGURES 3 and 5.

In operation, after the coil C has been positioned at entry level supported on the blocker rolls 4, as shown in FIGURE 1, the securing band B around the coil is severed in a conventional manner causing the outer wrap or leading end E of the coil to rest upon the rollers 10. At the same time the securing band B drops into the guide 12. Then the coil is rotated by the blocker rolls in counterclockwise direction to place the leading end E in position for entry into the coil processing line (not shown). As the coil is rotating in counterclockwise direction, the band B is driven through the guide 12 and onto the upper flight of the conveyor 22 where it is held on the conveyor by the magnetic field created by the magnets 38. The conveyor then carries the band away from the coil as the coil is being rotated by the blocker rolls. When the severed coil-securing band reaches the discharge end 30 of the conveyor, it drops into a receptacle 44.

It will be noted that although I have shown the use of permanent horseshoe magnets to create the magnetic field along the upper flight of the conveyor 22, any suitable type of magnet, permanent or otherwise, can be used for this purpose, if desired.

Although I have shown but one embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

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1. In apparatus for uncoiling a coil of material having a coil-securing steel band therearound including blocker rolls for rotatably supporting said coil, the improvement therewith of means for disposing of said coilsecuring band after it has been severed, said means comprising a pair of spaced supports adjacent said' blocker rolls for supporting the outer wrap of 'said' coillafter said'coilsecuring band is severed, .a guide extending longitudinally between and below the level of said spaced supports for receiving and guiding said coilsecuring band away from said coil'after said band is severed, said guide having a dischargeend remote from said blocker rolls, an endless conveyor having an upper and lower flight and receiving and delivery ends disposed with its receiving end substantially spaced along said upper flight subjacent thereto whereby a magnetic field is created along said upper flight for holding the severed coil-securing band thereon.

2. App'aratusaszdefinedby claim 1 in -which said supportsare freely-rotatable rollersr I iz'ar ern s cirea H UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,947,492 8/1960 Sarka 242-78] sTANLEY' Nfi-GILREATH; Primary Examiner. NATHANL INT; Assisiarit Examiner. 

